2019 National Planning Awards

Wendy Shabay is a vice president/principal at Freese and Nichols, Inc., where she manages the urban planning and design group. She works on comprehensive planning, corridor planning, downtown redevelopment, transit-oriented development, and campus housing. She has served in a leadership position for 12 consecutive years at the local, state, and national levels of APA, including as past president of the Texas Chapter and director of the APA Board representing Region III. Shabay received a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University.

Kristen Asp is the principal planner for the city of Glendale, California. As an undergraduate student, she served as a student representative for the APA California Chapter. She also served as the Los Angeles section director and vice president for administration for the APA California Chapter. Asp holds a bachelor's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a master's degree from Woodbury University.

Justin Garrett Moore is an urban designer and the executive director of the NYC Public Commission. He has extensive experience in urban planning and design — from large-scale urban systems, policies, and projects to grassroots and community-based planning, design, and arts initiatives. At the Public Design Commission, his work focuses on prioritizing quality and excellence for the public realm and fostering accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in public buildings, spaces, and art. Moore is a member of APA's AICP Commission, the Urban Design Forum, Next City's Vanguard, and Columbia University GSAPP's adjunct faculty. He is also co-founder of Urban Patch.

Heather Goetsch is an advocate for sustainability, including food systems, transportation, and green building. As a manager with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), she supports the organization's engagement activities and has been involved in volunteer recruitment, program development, and event planning. An APA member, Goetsch serves on APA's Leadership Development Task Force. She completed a fellowship with New Leaders Council–Wisconsin and holds a LEED Green Associate credential from the USGBC. She earned a bachelor's degree in conservation and environmental science and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Regina Gray is an analyst for the Affordable Housing Research and Technology Division in the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Since joining HUD in 2000, her research activities have focused on sustainable development, urban design, land use planning, transit-oriented development, energy and green building practices, and affordable housing preservation. Gray also collaborates with other federal agencies on a host of sustainability initiatives and is actively involved in these interagency efforts. She holds a bachelor's degree from Emory University, a master's degree from George Washington University, and a doctorate from the University of Maryland–College Park.

Otis Rolley has dedicated his entire career toward resilience and urban development in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Rolley is managing director for North America and Africa for 100 Resilient Cities (100RC). Prior to joining 100RC, Rolley served as CEO of Newark, New Jersey's Economic Development Corporation. His experience in the public sector includes leadership positions in three large American cities, including as chief of staff managing a $2 billion budget, city planning director, and the first deputy housing commissioner for the fifth largest public housing and community development agency in the U.S.

As an educator, consultant, and civic advisor, Ric Stephens has helped create meaningful and memorable places in more than 35 countries. Stephens is an aviation planner with WHPacific Inc.  He is also an adjunct instructor for Portland Community College, Portland State University, and the University of Oregon where he teaches courses in urban planning, international development, global business, and unmanned aircraft systems. He is immediate past president of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP).

Sanjeev Vidyarthi is an associate professor of urban planning and policy at the University of Illinois-Chicago where he is also a senior fellow of the Great Cities Institute. He studies the craft of plan-making across spatial scales in a wide variety of urban settings, such as neighborhoods, new towns, historic cities, and metropolitan regions. Actively involved in national and international networks of planning scholars and practitioners, Vidyarthi works closely with professional organizations and academic collaborators worldwide.

Ian Wan is a planner at NexGen Engineering where he provides technical and strategic assistance on projects throughout southern Arizona. Wan is responsible for analyzing data to identify community problems, issues, and opportunities to support public and private interests while achieving community goals. He is most interested in sustainable land use planning, stakeholder engagement, and enhancing community participation and collaboration in the planning process. He currently serves on the planning commission for the City of Tucson. Wan earned a Master of Science in Planning with a Certificate in Collaborative Governance from the University of Arizona, and he has been approved for the AICP Candidate Pilot Program.

Alexander Yee recently graduated from the University of Southern California where he received a Master of Planning degree after earning a bachelor's degree from Tufts University. Yee is focused on helping cities prepare for the impacts of climate change, particularly addressing sea-level rise. Yee serves on APA's Student Representative Council (SRC) Executive Committee representing Region VI and is the SRC Liaison to the AICP Commission. He is the student representative on the California Planning Foundation Board and is an active member of the APA-Los Angeles section.